MAINSTREAMING THE FAR RIGHT CULTURAL POLITICS IN HUNGARY

The influence of the far right on the formation of symbolic politics of the Fidesz government is interpreted in the context of the political regime in Hungary. Since 2010, Hungarian cultural policy cannot be viewed as one of the governmental sectors separable from prime minister Viktor Orban's concept of power and symbolic politicking. The authoritarian worldview and the nationalist political culture represented by his rule are closely related to what his underlings perform under the rubric "cultural policy". After explaining and interpreting the basic pillars of the regime, cultural policies of the first Orban government (1998-2002) are contrasted to his second government represented by the illiberal turn (since 2010). The latter era can be characterized by the dominance of nationalist discourse and symbolic politics referring to the pre-communist past. Propaganda campaigns identify culture as servant of nation, by constantly referring to national culture. In the meantime, alternative, non-state driven cultural initiatives are marginalized and even ghettoized. The Orbcin government in contemporary Hungary aims to colonize culture, although it is unable to reach monopolistic control, due to the diversity of and resistance in that sphere.